2. prae-sto — Lewis & Short
prae-sto, ĭti (post-class. also praestāvi), ātum or ĭtum, 1, v. n. and
I a.
I Neutr., to stand before or in front.
A Lit.: dum primae praestant acies,
Luc. 4, 30.—
B Trop., to stand out, be superior, to distinguish one's self, to be excellent, distinguished, admirable; constr. alicui aliquā re, alicui rei, in aliquā re, or absol. (class.): cum virtute omnibus praestarent,
Caes. B. G. 1, 3: quantum praestiterint nostri majores prudentiā ceteris gentibus,
Cic. de Or. 1, 44, 192: quā re homines bestiis praestent,
id. Inv. 1, 4, 5: hoc praestat amicitia propinquitati, quod, etc.,
id. Lael. 5, 19: Zeuxin muliebri in corpore pingendo plurimum aliis praestare,
id. Inv. 2, 1, 1: ceteris,
id. Ac. 1, 4, 16: suos inter aequales longe praestitit,
id. Brut. 64, 230: omnes homines, qui sese student praestare ceteris animalibus,
Sall. C. 1, 1: praestare honestam mortem existimans turpi vitae,
Nep. Chabr. 4, 3: quantum ceteris praestet Lucretia,
Liv. 1, 57, 7: cernere, quantum eques Latinus Romano praestet,
id. 8, 7, 7: quantum vel vir viro vel gens genti praestat!
id. 31, 7, 8: genere militum praestare tironibus,
id. 42, 52, 10: tantum Romana in bellis gloria ceteris praestat,
Quint. 1, 10, 14: qui eloquentiā ceteris praestet,
id. 2, 3, 5; 2, 16, 17; Curt. 8, 14, 13; Just. 18, 3, 14; 28, 2, 11; 44, 3, 9: sacro, quod praestat, peracto,
Juv. 12, 86: probro atque petulantiā maxume praestabant,
were pre-eminent, distinguished themselves, Sall. C. 37, 5: truculentiā caeli praestat Germania,
Tac. A. 2, 24: cur alias aliis praestare videmus Pondere res rebus?
Lucr. 1, 358.—
2 Praestat, with a subjectclause, it is preferable or better: nimio impendiosum praestat te, quam ingratum dicier,
it is much better, Plaut. Bacch. 3, 2, 12: mori milies praestitit, quam haec pati,
it was better, Cic. Att. 14, 9, 2: praestare dicunt, Gallorum quam Romanorum imperia perferre,
it is better, Caes. B. G. 1, 17: motos praestat componere fluctus,
Verg. A. 1, 135; 3, 429; 6, 39.
II Act.
A To surpass, outstrip, exceed, excel (not in Cic. or Cæs.; constr. usually aliquem aliquā re): qui primus in alterutrā re praestet alios, Varr. ap. Non. 502, 23; Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 10; 3, 1, 3: quantum Galli virtute ceteros mortales praestarent,
Liv. 5, 36, 4: qui belli gloriā Gallos omnes Belgasque praestabant,
Hirt. B. G. 8, 6: praestate virtute peditem, ut honore atque ordine praestatis,
Liv. 3, 61, 7: ut vetustate et gradu honoris nos praestent,
id. 7, 30, 4; 34, 34, 14; 37, 30, 2: praestat ingenio alius alium,
Quint. 1, 1, 3; Val. Max. 3, 2, 21; 3, 2, ext. 7; 7, 2, 17: honore ceteros,
Nep. Att. 18, 5; 3, 3; id. Reg. 3, 5: imperatores prudentiā,
id. Hann. 1, 1: eloquentiā omnes eo tempore,
id. Epam. 6, 1.—Only aliquem, Stat. Th. 4, 838.—
B To become surety for, to answer or vouch for, to warrant, be responsible for, to take upon one's self, etc. (class.): ut omnes ministros imperii tui rei publicae praestare videare,
Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 3: quem tamen ego praestare non poteram,
id. Att. 6, 3, 5: quanto magis arduum est alios praestare quam se, tanto laudabilius,
Plin. Pan. 83: communem incertumque casum neque vitare quisquam nostrum, nec praestare ullo pacto potest,
Cic. Fam. 5, 17, 3: simus eā mente ut nihil in vitā nobis praestandum praeter culpam putemus, that we need only answer for guilt, i. e. keep ourselves clear of guilt, id. ib. 6, 1, 4: impetus populi praestare nemo potest,
no one can be held to answer for the outbreaks of the people, id. de Or. 2, 28, 124: periculum judicii,
id. Mur. 2, 3: damnum alicui,
id. Off. 3, 16: invidiam,
id. Sest. 28, 61: nihil,
to be responsible for nothing, id. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 3; cf. in pass.: cum id, quod ab homine non potuerit praestari, evenerit,
what none could vouch for that it would not happen, id. Tusc. 3, 16, 34. —With ab aliquā re: ego tibi a vi praestare nihil possum,
Cic. Fam. 1, 4, 3.—With de: quod de te sperare, de me praestare possum,
Cic. Fam. 4, 15, 2.—With an objectclause: quis potest praestare, semper sapientem beatum fore, cum, etc.?
Cic. Tusc. 5, 10, 29; cf.: (praedones) nullos fore, quis praestare poterat?
id. Fl. 12, 28: meliorem praesto magistro Discipulum,
Juv. 14, 212.—With ut: illius lacrimae praestant ut veniam culpae non abnuat Osiris,
Juv. 6, 539.—
C In gen., to fulfil, discharge, maintain, perform, execute: arbitramur nos ea praestitisse, quae ratio et doctrina praescripserit,
Cic. N. D. 1, 3, 7: ultima exspectato, quae ego tibi et jucunda et honesta praestabo,
id. Fam. 7, 17, 2: suum munus,
id. de Or. 2, 9, 38: hospitii et amicitiae jus officiumque,
id. Fam. 14, 4, 2: ne quem ejus paeniteret, praestiti,
I took care, exerted myself, Liv. 30, 30; Ov. Tr. 5, 14, 19: quamcumque ei fidem dederis, ego praestabo,
I will fulfil, keep the promise, Cic. Fam. 5, 11, 2: fidem alicui,
Liv. 30, 15: pacem cum iis populus Romanus non ab se tantum, sed ab rege etiam Masinissa praestitit,
maintained, id. 40, 34: tributa,
to pay, Juv. 3, 188: annua,
id. 6, 480: triplicem usuram,
id. 9, 7.—Pass.: promissum id benignius est ab rege quam praestitum,
Liv. 43, 18, 11: mea tibi tamen benevolentia fidesque praestabitur,
Cic. Fam. 12, 2, 3; so, quibus (victoribus) senatūs fides praestabitur,
id. Phil. 14, 11, 30: virtus vetat spectare fortunam dum praestetur fides,
id. Div. 2, 37, 79: ni praestaretur fides publica,
Liv. 2, 28, 7.—
2 In partic.
a To keep, preserve, maintain, retain: pueri, quibus videmur praestare rem publicam debuisse,
Cic. Att. 10, 4, 5; Ov. M. 11, 748: omnes socios salvos praestare poteramus,
Cic. Imp. Pomp. 18, 55: mors omnia praestat Vitalem praeter sensum calidumque vaporem,
Lucr. 3, 214. —
b To show, exhibit, to prove, evince, manifest: Pomptinius praestat tibi memoriam benevolentiamque, quam debet,
Cic. Fam. 3, 10, 3: neque hercule in iis ipsis rebus eam voluntatem, quam exspectaram, praestiterunt,
id. ib. 1, 9, 5: virtutem,
Caes. B. G. 2, 27: benevolentiam,
Cic. Att. 11, 1, 1: consilium suum fidemque,
id. de Or. 3, 33, 134. —With se, to show, prove, or behave one's self as: praesta te eum, qui, etc., show thyself such, as, etc., Cic. Fam. 1, 6, 2: se incolumem,
Lucr. 3, 220: se invictum,
Ov. Tr. 4, 10, 104: teque praesta constanter ad omne Indeclinatae munus amicitiae,
show thyself constant, id. ib. 4, 5, 23: Victoria nunc quoque se praestet,
show itself, id. ib. 2, 169: sed ne ad illam quidem artissimam innocentiae formulam praestare nos possumus, prove ourselves innocent even according to that rule, Sen. Ira, 2, 28, 1: juris periti consultatoribus se praestabant,
showed themselves accessible, Dig. 1, 2, 2.— Poet.: vel magnum praestet Achillem,
should show, prove, approve himself a great Achilles, Verg. A. 11, 438.—
c To show, exhibit, manifest: honorem debitum patri,
Cic. Phil. 9, 5, 12: fratri pietatem,
id. Brut. 33, 126: virtutem et diligentiam alicui,
id. Fam. 14, 3, 2: frequentiam et officium alicui honores petenti,
Hirt. B. G. 8, 50: obsequium,
Sen. Q. N. 2, 59, 8: sedulitatem alicui rei,
to apply, Plin. Ep. 3, 18, 6.—
d To give, offer, furnish, present, expose: alicui certam summam pecuniae,
Suet. Dom. 9: cervicem, Sen. ap. Diom. p. 362 P.: caput fulminibus,
to expose, Luc. 5, 770: Hiberus praestat nomen terris,
id. 4, 23: anser praestat ex se pullos atque plumam,
Col. 8, 13: cum senatui sententiam praestaret,
gave his vote, Cic. Pis. 32, 80: terga hosti,
to turn one's back to the enemy, to flee, Tac. Agr. 37: voluptatem perpetuam sapienti,
to assume, Cic. Fin. 2, 27, 89.—Pass.: pueri, quibus id (biduum) praestabatur,
was devoted, Quint. 1, prooem. § 7; cf.: corpus, cui omnia olim tamquam servo praestabantur, nunc tamquam domino parantur,
Sen. Ep. 90, 19.—Hence, praestans, antis, P. a., pre-eminent, superior, excellent, distinguished, extraordinary.
A In gen. (class.).
1 Of persons: omnibus praestans et ingenio et diligentiā,
far surpassing all, Cic. Tusc. 1, 10, 22: usu et sapientiā praestantes,
noted for their experience and wisdom, Nep. Timoth. 3, 2.—Comp.: virginibus praestantior omnibus Herse,
superior to all, Ov. M. 2, 724.—Sup.: in illis artibus praestantissimus,
Cic. de Or. 1, 50, 217: praestantissimi studio atque doctrinā,
id. Ac. 1, 4, 17.—With gen.: o praestans animi juvenis,
distinguished for courage, Verg. A. 12, 19: belli,
Sil. 5, 92: armorum,
Stat. Th. 1, 605: praestantissimus sapientiae,
Tac. A. 6, 6.—Poet., with objectclause: quo non praestantior alter Aere ciere viros,
whom no other excelled in rousing the men, Verg. A. 6, 164.—
2 Of things, pre-eminent, excellent, remarkable, extraordinary, distinguished: praestanti corpore Nymphae,
Verg. A. 1, 71: praestanti corpore tauri,
id. G. 4, 550: formā,
id. A. 7, 483: naturā excellens atque praestans,
Cic. N. D. 1, 20, 56: qui a te tractatus est praestanti et singulari fide,
id. Fam. 3, 10, 3: praestans prudentiā in omnibus,
Nep. Alc. 5, 1; Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 38: quid praestantius mihi potuit accidere?
id. Vatin. 3, 8.—
B In partic.
1 Efficacious: medicina,
Plin. 13, 24, 47, § 130: usus praestantior,
id. 18, 13, 34, § 126: calamus praestantior odore,
id. 12, 22, 48, § 105: sucus sapore praestantissimus,
id. 15, 1, 2, § 5: praestantissima auxilia,
id. 27, 13, 120, § 146.—
2 Sup.: Praestantissimus,
a title of the later emperors, Nazar. 26; Tert. Cor. Mil. 1.— Hence, adv.: praestanter, excellently, admirably (post-Aug.); sup.: praestantissime,
Plin. 28, 12, 50, § 186.